Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, have confirmed a 12-player lineup for the upcoming qualifying competition ahead of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, with the roster officially published by FIBA on Thursday.
The announcement, which also appeared on the team’s official social media pages, features a mix of seasoned players and other key members of the squad. Experienced names such as Ezinne Kalu, Sarah Ogoke, Amy Okonkwo and Promise Amukamara made the list. The squad is completed by Elizabeth Balogun, Nicole Enabosi, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa, Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, Rita Igbokwe, Ifunaya Okoro and Blessing Ejiofor.
The African champions will take part in the qualifying event billed for March 11–17 in Lyon, France. Their opening fixture will be against Colombia on March 11, followed by a clash with South Korea the next day. Nigeria will later confront Philippines on March 14, host nation France on March 15, before rounding off the group stage against Germany on March 17. At the end of the series, the top three teams in the group will move on to the next round.
Nigeria had already secured their place at the global tournament in Berlin after emerging champions at the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket. As a result, the matches in Lyon are expected to serve mainly as part of the team’s build-up and preparation for the main championship. Apart from host nation Germany, other countries that have already booked their places include Australia, Belgium and the United States.
Earlier, head coach Rena Wakama had named a wider training squad before eventually selecting the final group of 12 players for the tournament.
Meanwhile, the first power ranking ahead of the 2026 World Cup released by FIBA on Thursday placed Nigeria in eighth position globally, reflecting the team’s recent success and the depth of talent in the squad.
Strong performances from players such as Murjanatu Musa in the EuroLeague Women, alongside the experience of veterans like Ezinne Kalu and Amy Okonkwo, could help Nigeria compete strongly with top sides like France and Germany in the group.
Nigeria previously participated in the Women’s World Cup in 2006 in Brazil and again in 2018 in Spain, and the team will aim to improve on those past outings when the tournament takes place in Germany in September 2026.
After the qualifiers in France, the team will also travel to the United States in April for a special tour. During the trip, they are scheduled to play a preseason exhibition against the Minnesota Lynx, making history as the first African national team to face a club from the WNBA as part of their preparations for the World Cup.
